The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Adi Parva
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Adi Parva
Epic literature, Sanskrit
"'After the birth of the twins, the Apsara herself became freed from her
curse. For she had been told before by the illustrious one (who had cursed
her) that she would, while living in her piscatorial form, give birth to
two children of human shape and then would be freed from the curse. Then,
according to these words, having given birth to the two children, and been
killed by the fishermen, she left her fish-form and assumed her own
celestial shape. The Apsara then rose up on the path trodden by the
Siddhas, the Rishis and the Charanas.
"'The fish-smelling daughter of the Apsara in her piscatorial form was then
given by the king unto the fishermen, saying, "Let this one be thy
daughter." That girl was known by the name of Satyavati. And gifted with
great beauty and possessed of every virtue, she of agreeable smiles, owing
to contact with fishermen, was for some time of the fishy smell. Wishing
to serve her (foster) father she plied a boat on the waters of the Yamuna.
"'While engaged in this vocation, Satyavati was seen one day by the great
Rishi Parasara, in course of his wanderings. As she was gifted with great
beauty, an object of desire even with an anchorite, and of graceful smiles,
the wise sage, as soon as he beheld her, desired to have her. And that
bull amongst Munis addressed the daughter of Vasu of celestial beauty and
tapering thighs, saying, "Accept my embraces, O blessed one!" Satyavati
replied, "O holy one, behold the Rishis standing on either bank of the
river. Seen by them, how can I grant thy wish?"
"'Thus addressed by her, the ascetic thereupon created a fog (which existed
not before and) which enveloped the whole region in darkness. And the
maiden, beholding the fog that was created by the great Rishi wondered
much. And the helpless one became suffused with the blushes of bashfulness.
And she said, "O holy one, note that I am a maiden under the control of my
father. O sinless one, by accepting your embraces my virginity will be
sullied. O best of Brahmanas, my virginity being sullied, how shall I, O
Rishi, be able to return home? Indeed, I shall not then be able to bear
life. Reflecting upon all this, O illustrious one, do that which should be
done." That best of Rishis, gratified with all she said, replied, "Thou
shall remain a virgin even if thou grantest my wish. And, O timid one, O
beauteous lady, solicit the boon that thou desirest. O thou of fair smiles,
my grace hath never before proved fruitless." Thus addressed, the maiden
asked for the boon that her body might emit a sweet scent (instead of the
fish-odour that it had). And the illustrious Rishi thereupon granted that
wish of her heart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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